Get Back the Porcelain Boy!
by CielCadet
Summary: The Get Backers has been given another case from Hevn! Their client is Clayman, and she is offering an extraordinarily high payment-in advance! The Get Backers, as well as an old friend, joins them to fight their way to where they believe Clayman's precious thing is-Babylon City. WARNING: Homosexual relationships present and implied.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Get Back The Porcelain Boy!

A boy stood in front of a mirror, slowly wrapping bloody bandages around his chest. He looked no older than eighteen. He was not too tall, not too short—around 5'7". He had skin so pale that it looked white as snow. He had straight, blue hair that reached his shoulders, with matching large blue eyes. He had a small nose and small mouth. He had long fingers, which gave him quite an advantage when he played the cello. After he was done wrapping himself up, he put on a black v-neck t-shirt, covering up his "J-shaped" scar on this stomach. He stepped into a pair of black jeans that had tears across the legs. His eyes then fell onto a single white _kanzashi_ on a water-damaged table. He walked over to it and clipped it into his hair; then, he faced the mirror again, smiling. Suddenly, he heard a small, metallic sound. He looked over to his left, looking at a pot on the floor. He looked up at the ceiling to see it was leaking. He walked over to the balcony of his apartment, opening the curtains that were blowing. It had begun to rain. He sighed.

"More rain," he said to himself. He then went down the fire escape stairs and jumped down into an alley, walking past people who were huddled up under newspapers …

Meanwhile in the Honky Tonk cafe, Ban was pushing Ginji away with his hand against his forehead, keeping him from taking an extra-large stick of chocolate Pocky hanging out of his mouth.

"Ban! That was the last one! Come on! At least break it in half!" Ginji said with little tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Nope! Don't you see it's already in my mouth? Sorry Ginji—not today!" Ban said teasingly. Natsumi was behind the counter, looking chipper as always.

"Do you think the box I gave them was too small?" she said. Paul, who was standing next to her, shook his head.

"No. They just don't have any self-control," Paul answered. The two struggled until Ginji was able to bite onto the other end of the Pocky stick. He began to munch on it, getting closer to Ban. Ban blushed. Ginji smirked as he continued. Just when their mouths were about to meet, the door opened. The Pocky stick snapped and fell to the floor.

"You idiot! You almost—" Ban was shouting when he suddenly saw Hevn standing in the doorway.

"Ah! Hevn! So glad to see ya! So, got any work?" Ban said, grinning at her.

"Yeah! We need new tires for Ban's—" Ginji was suddenly interrupted, Ban punching him in the shoulder.

"Everyone doesn't need to know our business, Ginji!" Ban shouted.

"Owie! Ban, that hurt…" Ginji mumbled.

"Behave you two," Hevn said, smiling. "Well, as usual, I'm perfect. I've got a big job for you. Our client is right behind me." Hevn walked into the café, a familiar face entering right after her. It was Clayman, smiling sweetly. She was actually dressed casually. She was wearing a clear raincoat over sky blue t-shirt with sunflowers on it and brown capris.

"Big money!" Ban said, his eyes lighting up.

"You're looking pretty cute today, Clayman!" Ginji said.

"I try to not let dreary weather affect me," she said. Ginji smiled. Whenever it rained, it was impossible for him not to reflect on his darker past, but he knew he could rely on Ban to understand him, and moreover, excite him.

"Well, shall we?" Hevn said, winking.

…The four of them were sitting in one of the café's booths, talking.

"So, I will be paying you in advance. What you will be 'getting back' for me is of most importance to me. And, of course, it will most likely be a more-difficult-than-usual job. First of all, what I must tell you is that you will have to go to the Limitless Fortress to—"

"Not interested," Ban said right away. Ginji was silent, eyes falling. "Whatever you're looking for is probably not worth our necks." Ban then looked over at Hevn, looking annoyed. "Hevn, why would you bring a job like this over to us?"

"I thought it might be an offer you can't refuse," Hevn said. "Clayman…?"

"I will pay you 5,300,000 yen—once again, in advance," Clayman said, smiling.

"WH-WHAT?!" Ban yelled, jaw dropping. "F-Five million-?! I don't think I've ever heard that number before!"

"Ban! You could get the best tires in all of Shinjuku!"

"All you can think of is tires?! Ginji, we could afford a thirtieth-floor penthouse with that kind of money!"

"A-a-a _penthouse?!_ No way! Ban, this sounds too good to be true!" Ginji said, beginning to daydream. Ban suddenly frowned.

"You're right, Ginji. This _does_ sound too good to be true. Clayman, what exactly is worth five million yen, huh? It isn't the _Mona Lisa_ , is it?"

" _Mona Lisa?_ Since when did _seaweed_ grow on _apple trees_? And who's Lisa?" Ginji asked, looking confused as he drew _Kanji_ in the air with his finger. Ban's eyes rolled over to look at him and then back at Clayman; he didn't even want to bother with answering him.

"What is it, Clayman?"

"It's a statue. It was stolen from a Chinese auction here in Tokyo seven years ago. My sources—my best—told me that it is there, in the Limitless Fortress."

"And what's so special about this statue?"

"It's the one and only of its kind. You see, it's a statue completely made out of Chinese porcelain."

"Doesn't that make it pretty fragile?" Ban commented.

"Exactly. So very fragile…" Clayman's smile grew. "You see, it is from the beginning of the _Ming_ Dynasty. There was plenty of porcelain made during that era, as it was desired by the western world—Europe—but what makes it so unique is that it was shaped like a Roman male youth."

"That's a little strange."

"Isn't it? You see, the original artist made porcelain treasures for a lord. However, his lord loved western statues that the Greeks and Romans made so much more than the Chinese porcelain that was being produced. He would trade the finest porcelain objects his artist would make for what the Europeans considered old, worthless pieces of art, such as Roman statues. This lord's artist became depressed, upset about what he considered an 'unfair trade.' He then challenged himself, saying that he was going to make a western-looking statue out of porcelain, so fragile that it was like the 'gods of the heavens' had crafted it," Clayman explained. "No one knew the statue's real value. I went to this auction seven years ago in hopes of bringing it to my private gallery, but then it was stolen before it could even be put up for display."

"So you want us to get back something that wasn't even yours in the first place?" Ban said, lighting up a cigarette. Clayman's head fell, her bangs hiding her eyes.

"It was meant to be mine!" she cried.

"You're sounding very childish right now, Clayman," Ban said. Ginji frowned.

"Ban? It seems like it really means a lot to her…" Ginji said.

"Do you really want to go back _there_ to find it, Ginji?" Ban asked him, sounding fairly serious. Ginji's eyes fell.

"We're the 'Get Backers,' right? We get back things that are precious to people, Ban," Ginji looked over at him, smiling now.

"Ginji…" Ban blew out some smoke, falling silent for a moment. "Well, I like the numbers. And if Ginji is okay with it, I guess I am too."

"Thank you," Clayman said, smiling at them. "I have a photo of what he looks like," Clayman said, taking a photo out of her wallet. It was a picture of a youth, running away with his head turned back.

"Why does he look like he's running away from something?" Ginji asked.

"That's the mysterious beauty of it," Clayman answered.

…Ban and Ginji were looking up at the Limitless Fortress, pigeons flying from clothesline to clothesline. The rain had stopped, the sun shining between clouds.

"Clayman said that it could be anywhere in the Limitless Fortress, but the rumor is that someone on the border of Babylon City has it."

"Babylon City…" Ginji's eyes fell. "Why does it have to be there?"

"I don't know… but I'm glad you came back with me to Shinjuku, Ginji," Ban said, smiling at him. Ginji smiled back. "So, shall we make our way up?"

"Yep!" Ginji answered.

They opened the door that they had once entered to find their way to MakubeX two years ago. Suddenly, Akabane was standing there right before them, hand on his hat. He tipped it.

"Glad to see you're on time, Get Backers," Akabane said. Ginji jumped into Ban's arms.

"Ban!" Ginji shouted.

" _Great._ What are you doing here?" Ban said, looking a little annoyed.

"Oh, I'm here to make sure you successfully obtain the statue. Then I am to transport it to Clayman's gallery," Akabane answered.

"What?! Are you saying that she hired you too?!" Ban shouted.

"It seems that way. You see, though I am a transporter, I have also been hired to make sure Ginji, the Lightning God, doesn't _regress_."

"So Clayman doesn't completely trust us?" Ban said, putting Ginji down. Ginji's eyes fell.

"I suppose not," Akabane said, smiling. Nothing delighted him more than knowing that Ban wasn't the solution to all of Ginji's problems. Ban knew what he was thinking, which made his blood boil. "Now, I must inform you that though we'll be a trio, I will be making my own decisions. So, when it is time, please, do not get involved."

"If that means slaughter, I'll stop you, Akabane," Ginji said, glaring at him. Akabane smiled again.

"Ginji, you know exactly what that means. You are a clever boy. Just don't be stupid and turn into the Lightning God and lose sight of the job. Okay?" Akabane said, his eyes opening to meet Ginji's. There was a silence.

"Whatever. Let's just go," Ban said, walking past Akabane…

"Jikichi! Where are you?!" A woman shouted. She had long, wavy blonde hair. She had eyes that were so dark, they appeared black. She had nice, bow-shaped lips, coated in a shiny red lipstick. She was wearing a tight, short white dress. She was laying on her side on an ivory chaise lounge. She was surrounded by stained glass lamps on polished wood tables around the room. The boy with the blue hair rushed into the room and bowed quickly.

"Sorry I was late…" he said.

"It's because you went to that _lower world_ apartment of yours, wasn't it? I told you to stay here in the penthouse," she said, sounding annoyed. She got up and walked up to him, her heels clicking. She looked angry. Jikichi's eyes fell. She then grabbed him by the chin and kissed him roughly. Suddenly, a crack appeared next to his lip; she broke the kiss, seeing this. "Was I too rough with you?"

"No…" Jikichi answered, putting his hand over his mouth.

"Well, go get fixed and then come back and play something for me on the cello," she commanded.

"Yes, Madame Harpy," Jikichi said, bowing and exiting the room…

"It would only make sense for something as valuable—or at least what Clayman considers 'valuable,' to be in Babylon City," Ban said, walking down a hall. "I just wondered why she didn't just hire you, creep," Ban said to Akabane.

"I don't question my clients, as long as everything is as right as rain," Akabane said, smiling.

"Well, aren't you in such a bright and sunny mood?" Ban said, sounding annoyed.

"Hm, hm, hmm…" Akabane laughed. Suddenly, Akabane stopped, his smile disappearing.

"What? What's wrong? Why did we stop?" Ginji asked.

"Because we have yet to be properly introduced; we are their guests after all," Akabane answered. Ban was on edge. Suddenly, the building began to shake. The floor behind them collapsed. Ginji gasped. Akabane began to run, running up the stairs, Ban and Ginji following.

They soon reached the roof of the building, which was stable, oddly enough.

"What was that all about? It was like the building was going through some demolition!" Ginji cried.

"See? We are the guests," Akabane said, pulling out a glowing knife. A group of five people approached them, leaving the shadows. They all had goggles on and were wearing jackets with the old "Voltz" logo sewn into it. Ginji gasped.

"We are the Demolition Men. You are trespassing," one of them said.

"But this building is abandoned…" Ginji said, frowning. "We made sure to choose it for that reason."

"Don't you even recognize him? That's the Lightning God you're speaking to," Ban said, smirking.

"We don't care! We're the new Voltz and we don't believe in you!" another one cried.

"'Believe in me?'" Ginji quietly said to himself.

"Leave our territory or be pounded into powder!" one of the bigger guys said. He bumped his fists together, creating wind around him. Akabane smiled.

"Would you even let us leave if we agreed to?" Akabane said teasingly. His eyes opened. "No matter. I see this as a threat, and I don't like being threatened so casually."

"You're right, smart-aleck. This is a threat," a third guy said.

"We don't plan on staying here long," Ban said. "Let us leave or we'll make sure you wish you hadn't introduced yourselves to us."

"Oh! So you're threatening us now?!" one of the guys said.

"Ah, it seems that way. So, do we have an agreement of some kind now?" Akabane teased.

"Yes. We're going to kick your ass! Come on! Demolition Men, go!" one of them cried, pointing at the three of them. Ginji put on his gloves. Two men came at Ban with knives. Ban jumped up into the air and then slammed their heads together, breaking their noses and knocking them unconscious. Two men, a tad hesitant at first, came at Ginji with bloody pipes. Ginji grabbed both of their pipes before they could swing at him, and shocked them until they fell onto the ground. The largest of the group was staring at Akabane.

"You're gunna snap like a twig!" the large man shouted.

"I highly doubt that, but go ahead—let's see you try," Akabane said, waving his hand to signal that he wanted him to come. The man let out a shout and slammed his hand on the ground, part of the roof coming down. Akabane jumped before the ground underneath him collapsed into the empty apartment below. The large man then jumped over the hole and aimed to throw a punch when Akabane disappeared. The large man looked around, looking confused. Just then, the man saw the sleeves to his jacket fall down onto the ground. His eyes widened when he saw a pair of hands sticking out of them.

"Akabane!" Ginji cried, sounding mad. Akabane was behind the man.

"Not very useful without your arms, are you?" Akabane said. The large man then freaked out, noticing that blood was spilling out of his arm sockets. He didn't even feel any pain—it had been a clean cut.

"Akabane! Don't—" Suddenly, blood sprayed out of the Voltz logo on the back of his jacket. The large man fell, falling into a hole that he had made and disappearing out of sight.

"My. I was so afraid, facing an opponent so much bigger than me. But the bigger they are, the harder they fall, I suppose. Or so they say…" Akabane said, smiling. Ginji was glaring at him.

"Just like old times, huh?" Ban said, lighting a cigarette.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Climbing the Ladder

Jikichi was playing the cello, specifically a famous song known as _The Chairman's Waltz_ —one of Madame Harpy's favorites. She lazily turned one of her stained glass lamps on and off as she listened, pulling on the delicate chain over and over.

"Jikichi, the worst thing just happened," Madame Harpy said. "I heard that a recovery service is on its way to steal my beloved statue."

"Is that so?" Jikichi said, still playing.

"Yes. But I've talked with some of the new Voltz members below and they're happy to test their abilities against them."

"I see…"

"I believe one of the recovery service's members is the former leader of the Voltz—the Lightning Emperor—or should I say, 'Lightning God,'" she said, sitting up. "Those new Voltz members will keep them busy until my friend from above comes."

"'Friend from above?'" Jikichi said with an emotionless face.

"You've probably seen him when you were younger. No need to worry that pretty face of yours. Now, focus on playing, alright?"

"Yes, Madame," Jikichi answered, bringing the song to a crescendo…

"Ginji! You're the guide! You're supposed to guide us where we're going! We can't just keep on jumping roofs!" Ban yelled.

"I have to agree. Ginji, don't tell me that you're lost, are you?" Akabane said, frowning. Ginji looked back at them, smiling nervously.

"Oh come on! Have a little more faith in me!" Ginji said.

"I knew it. We're lost," Ban said. "Should have asked those Demolition guys for directions."

"I doubt they would have told us. Other than being unbelievably stupid, I think there is more to this little game we've stumbled in upon," Akabane said.

"Do you really think so? I just think the Voltz have come back with a sour taste in their mouth," Ban said back, lighting a cigarette.

"Well, it seemed like those guys we fought earlier were just defending their turf…" Ginji said, thinking.

"Oh, Ginji, you're so naïve," Akabane said, smiling. "It's cute." Ginji swallowed hard.

"Don't call him _cute_ , you creep," Ban said, eyebrow raising. "Whenever you say _cute,_ usually it means something that you want to cut up. You're sick."

"What can I say? I like—" Suddenly, Akabane jumped back.

"More company?" Ban asked, dropping his cigarette to the ground. A man sitting on a crane hopped down onto the roof. He walked towards them, smirking. He had short, spikey white hair, grey eyes, and a sinister smirk. He had a smaller build and a grey tone to his skin. He was also wearing a Voltz jacket.

"So, what's your story, pal?" Ban asked, looking annoyed.

"I'm here to challenge the Lightning Emperor. Nothing more," the man answered.

"Hey … You're part of the new Voltz gang, right? Listen, it's not all about fighting…" Ginji said, stepping forward.

"I was born to fight you, Lightning Emperor," he said, licking his lips. Ginji suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"Umm…! I'm not sure what you mean by that, but how about—" Ginji was interrupted.

"Do you really think I am going to let the moment I've been waiting for all of my life slip away between my fingers?!" the man cried. "I, Gomumaru "Rubber Man" Shiro, shall defeat you!"

"Ginji! Your regular electric attacks won't affect him!" Ban shouted.

"What?! Then how am I supposed to defeat this guy, Ban?!"

"You're gunna have to get a little serious!"

"Right!" Ginji then looked at Gomumaru. His smile disappeared. Electricity began to course up his body. He removed his green jacket, steam rising from his skin.

"Ooh. Now this looks interesting," Akabane said, opening his eyes. Gomumaru ran towards Ginji and then suddenly rolled into a ball, hitting Ginji in the stomach. Ginji was sent flying, rolling until he reached the end of the roof. He grabbed on, saving himself from falling off.

"Ginji!" Ban cried, concerned. They were fairly high after all.

"I know, I know, Ban. 'Be more care—'" Suddenly, Ginji was punched in the face. Gomumaru's arm had stretched. "Owie! That one hurt…" Ginji said, holding his cheek. "Well, you may be able to roll like a tire or stretch your arms like a _rokurokubi,_ but I have a couple of tricks of my own!" Ginji said, grinning, as more steam emitted from his body. Ginji had his hand on his belt. Gomumaru threw another punch, but Ginji whipped out his belt and wrapped it around his arm. Ginji tried to pull Gomumaru towards him, but instead, he was flung into the air, screaming. Akabane found it hilarious, but said nothing. While in the air, Ginji began to charge himself up. Just when he got close, his body pulsed a powerful, electric current through his belt, it shocking Gomumaru. Gomumaru laughed.

"Your attacks don't work on me, idiot!" Gomumaru cried. Ginji released him and jumped away. Ban pushed his glasses up on his nose. Suddenly, Gomumaru caught on fire. "Ahhh! I'm burning!" he shouted. He rolled on the ground, screaming. All he could see around him was flames. Just then, skeletons on fire emerged from the flames, approaching him. "It's all over! It's all over for me! The Lightning God has sent me to Hell!"

"Just a moment," Ban said, as clear as a bell. The reality that surrounded Gomumaru shattered like glass, revealing that everything around him hadn't changed at all. Gomumaru sat up, panting loudly. "Did you have a bad dream?" Ban grinned with his snake-like eyes. Gomumaru got to his feet, panting.

"Y-you're Ban Midou! That was the-the—"

"That's right, Gomumaru—the _Jagan—_ and you just had a little sample of it. And if you aren't careful, Ginji here will actually light you on fire. You're not invincible, Gomumaru."

"I'd rather die than run away from this fight!" Gomumaru cried.

"That can be arranged," Akabane said.

"No!" Ginji said, glaring at him. He then looked at Gomumaru again, who looked like he was seething with rage.

" _I have to knock this guy out somehow…"_ Ginji thought to himself. _"That or Akabane will get to him…"_ Gomumaru began to throw punches at Ginji, who dodged them. _"If I shock him with a small attack, he'll just absorb it; if I use a stronger attack, he'll catch on fire. And if I hit him in the back of the head, my attack will probably bounce back. What am I going to do? Ban already used the Jagan. I would have thought that that would have scared the guy off, but I guess he's really mad… I wonder… if he was one of the ones I left behind…"_ Ginji frowned. Gomumaru had begun hopping towards him, like a flea. When Gomumaru got close, Ginji dodged him, but just when he thought he was out of range, Gomumaru grabbed Ginji by the neck and began to curl his arm around it, binding him. Ginji began to choke.

"Ginji!" Ban shouted. He rushed towards them when suddenly, blood spraying in the shape of a "J" came from Gomumaru's back. He released Ginji and fell back, dead.

" _Akabane? Why couldn't I see him?!"_ Ban thought, shocked.

"Akabane!" Ginji said in a strained voice.

"I'm sorry. I simply don't like seeing you flush if it isn't because of me," Akabane said, offering his hand to help Ginji up. Ginji looked up at him, looking uneasy. He got up.

"Maybe the rooftops really aren't safe…" Ginji said quietly.

"Then let's find another way," Ban said…

Madame Harpy wasn't worried at all; she was taking a nap.

" _Madame Harpy has never let me see her treasure before… It must be really precious if she's getting someone from 'up there' to come 'down here,'"_ Jikichi thought, heading towards the front door. _"Maybe I can go back down to midtown while the sun is out…"_ Jikichi opened the door when he walked into a man's arms. He gasped and looked up. He saw a man with a devilish smile. He had fair complexion—not as pale as Jikichi—had long, wavy white hair, and red eyes; he was albino. He ran his fingers along Jikichi's face.

"You're beautiful," the man said. Jikichi's eyes widened. "I wonder what is more valuable than a boy like you?" The man leaned in. Jikichi turned his head, a crack forming under one of the man's fingers. His brow rose. "What?..." Jikichi pulled away, hiding his cheek behind a hand. "Oh. So you're the boy dear sister talks about—more fragile than glass…" Jikichi looked at him, looking a little nervous. "In that case, I can't let you leave the mansion. You must stay here with us—where you'll be safe. It isn't safe in midtown."

"I live there," Jikichi replied.

"Is that so? Why not here, with sister?" the man said.

"I'm not going to leave my world behind," Jikichi said, looking a little mad.

"Come with me—into the house."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Madame Harpy's brother, Banshii," he replied.

"Madame Harpy never told me that she had a brother who lived in uptown." Banshii walked past Jikichi, taking him with him. The door closed behind them…

Madame Harpy, Jikichi, and Banshii were all sitting at a table with cups of tea. Jikichi stared into the cup at his own reflection.

"Another crack?" Madame Harpy said, looking frustrated.

"It was my fault. He looks like he is made of clay," Banshii confessed.

"He's far more refined than that."

"Is he _alive_?" Banshii asked. Jikichi looked up, looking upset.

"Of course he is!" Madame Harpy shouted.

"Sorry. I've just never met anyone like him before. He's… beautiful. Can I have him?"

"Just because you're my brother doesn't mean you can have my things," Madame Harpy snapped. Jikichi's eyes fell again. "So, Jikichi, you didn't know I had a brother? You were really young when we met. Even Banshii here barely remembers. Well, the truth is, we aren't exactly related. We were just raised together by my mother, Madame Siren. But anyway, go fix your face." Jikichi nodded and headed to the bathroom. He looked in the mirror and then squint his eyes, concentrating. The crack sealed itself, not a single sign of damage left. Banshii came into the bathroom behind him, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"Someday, I'll take you to uptown, where you can really be happy. You belong in the sunlight, not below here or among the false light of these glass lamps," Banshii said softly. Jikichi flinched, a crack forming in his neck. Jikichi let out a small pained noise. "Oh. I'm so sorry. I'll have to be gentler with you." Banshii let go of him and returned to the den where they had been drinking tea.

"So, as I was saying, Banshii, they're after my treasure," Madame Harpy continued from where they had left off.

"The treasure you stole seven years ago? I wonder why they've taken as long as they have," Banshii said, smirking.

"Yes…"

"What is the treasure anyway? You still haven't told me."

"I don't need to. All you need to know is that it must be protected at all costs."

"I normally wouldn't be doing this for free… But you are my sister. I just can't believe I'll be going up against the famous Lightning God. I never thought I would have the honor…"

"Well, from what I've heard, he doesn't act much like a god anymore. He's lived outside of the Fortress and grown tender."

"I see…" Banshii took a sip of his tea…

The three of them were beating up a bunch of new Voltz members who had ganged up on them in a building. Akabane, for once, was not killing anyone—though there was only so much one could live through, Ban said. Ginji was mad at Akabane, as usual, but he couldn't let himself get to a bad place and turn into the Lightning God again. Ginji did interrupt Akabane's attacks when he could, frustrating him; Akabane was having difficulty holding himself back.

"Ginji, you're frustrating me. Do you not remember what I said earlier?" Akabane said, landing next to him after doing some aerial attacks. Ginji looked over him.

"You don't have to go that far with them! They're just…" Ginji sighed. "Kids." Akabane fell silent.

"That's the last of them—for now. Why are they just Voltz?" Ban asked.

"I had no idea that they had so many members, especially in midtown," Ginji said. "I guess things changed after two years." The three of them continued on.

"Remember that Voltz girl who wanted to follow Kazuki out of the Fortress years ago?"

"Huh? I don't remember anyone," Ginji said. Ban frowned. Akabane remained silent.

"Nevermind. What I mean is that you probably left quite a mark here."

"I guess so," Ginji said, thinking to himself. "I just wonder why they're attacking us."

"Like creep over there said, this must be part of something bigger."

" _All of this_ for a statue?"

"It's who it belongs to that matters," Ban continued. "Someone in Babylon City… You know, now that I think about it, I wonder why Clayman didn't request that everyone of your transport service come with you, or invite anyone else. I mean, maybe this job isn't as big as the one that involved retrieving the I.L., but—"

"I do accept jobs that don't involve my other partners. Miss Clayman was very specific. My partners are not to know about this at all," Akabane replied.

"That's very suspicious of her," Ban said. "Why did you take the job anyway? For the money? So you can buy more hats?" Ban grinned.

"Not at all. Other than working with your friend here, I was simply curious about this statue," Akabane answered.

"Do you like art, Akabane?" Ginji asked.

"Art imitates life, while life imitates art. I'm interested in the statue that a _god's knife_ crafted."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Freedom Promised

"Play the cello for Banshii, Jikichi," Madame Harpy commanded. Jikichi nodded. He sat down and began to play Vivaldi's _Summer_. At first, the song was calm, but then it picked up. Jikichi closed his eyes, concentrating. Banshii smiled at Jikichi as if he could see a bright aura of passion around him. When Jikichi finished, he stood up and bowed in silence. Madame Harpy grinned.

"See? Isn't he great?"

"He is," Banshii said. Jikichi put away the cello into its case and then walked over to one of the windows, looking outside. Banshii frowned. "Sister? Please, let me take the boy to uptown—just for the afternoon?"

"And how do I know you aren't going to take him away from me?" Madame Harpy said, looking annoyed. Banshii held up his hand.

"I won't. I will return before the sun sets."

"Fine."

"Thank you, sister," Banshii said, bowing. He then carefully took Jikichi by the hand and opened the front door…

Banshii and Jikichi were standing side-by-side in a glass elevator heading up. Jikichi looked down, watching the buildings of lower Babylon City get smaller. When the elevator stopped, they exited. A bunch of balloons flew by, startling Jikichi.

"It's the Sun Festival today. It rains quite a bit here in Shinjuku, which you already know, but today is the festival celebrating clear skies. I thought you might like it." Banshii caught a yellow balloon by the string and then offered it to Jikichi. "Go ahead. Hold it. But don't let it go or it'll disappear forever." Jikichi nodded and took the balloon from him. He stared up at it, wondering how it was floating above him. Banshii took Jikichi's free hand and began to walk forward…

"You know, it's been a long time since it was sunny here in the Limitless Fortress," Ban commented.

"It's nice." Ginji said softly. Akabane was silent.

"What's wrong, vampire? Don't like the sun?" Ban said teasingly.

"Though I do prefer the dark, the weather does not affect me like you or many others. As long as I am able to move swiftly, it doesn't matter to me," Akabane said.

"Tch. Whatever," Ban replied.

"You must be real hot under those black clothes though. Maybe you should wear white for a change!" Ginji said. Akabane chuckled.

"'White?' But it would be covered in stains in less than—maybe it would be a challenge to keep it clean…" Akabane said, eyes opening. Ginji realized what he said and made a face. Ban sighed.

"Ginji, sometimes I don't know why you—" Ban stopped, looking around.

"What? What is it, Ban? Don't know why I _what_?" Ginji asked. Suddenly, there was the sound of motorcycles echoing around them.

"Such noisy company," Akabane commented. A group of six bikers rose out of the darkness on their bikes, wearing Voltz jackets.

"More Voltz…" Ginji said, frowning. The bikers took out various weapons (maces, steel bats, etc.), swinging them in the air.

"Welcome to the jungle!" one of them cried.

"We're the Burning Wheels of Voltz!" another one said.

"Sorry, but we can't let you pass!"

"This is starting to sound like a broken record," Ban said, sighing.

The bikes rushed at them. Ban used his Snake Bite attack to pull the rider off the bike and knock them unconscious. Ginji shot electricity from his hands and caused the bike to malfunction and throw the rider off, the rider shaking from the shock. Akabane had fun with his opponents, as usual—but this time, he used his knives to cut the bikes below the rider up into scrap-metal before they could even realize and threw them to the ground.

"Good work, Akabane!" Ginji said. Akabane suddenly blushed. He then pulled his hat down, smiling. After they took care of all of the six riders, seven more appeared, resuming the battle.

"How many guys are there anyway?" Ginji said, looking a little upset.

"Who knows?" Ban replied.

"I'm having fun, though steel is nowhere as fun to cut as—"

"We know," Ban said, cutting him off. Akabane chuckled. Ginji made an uneasy face. A bike suddenly jumped into the air, trying to run Ginji over when Akabane appeared in front of him; he stabbed the bike right through the engine. He twisted the blade and black oil sprayed everywhere. The rider, terrified, fell off the bike and crawled away. Akabane threw the bike and wiped his face to get rid of some of the drops of oil that had gotten on him.

" _He guts those motorcycles like they were fish…"_ Ginji thought. Akabane landed in front of Ginji and turned to him, smiling.

"U-uh! Thank you, Akabane!" Ginji said nervously. Akabane drew closer. "A-Akabane? What are you doing?" Akabane's mouth opened. "A-Akabane! I don't know what you're doing but there's something called 'personal space' and if you like, we can talk about it!" Akabane got close—close enough to pull him into a kiss. Ginji closed his eyes, expecting it, when Akabane reached forward to gently wipe a drop of oil off of Ginji's cheek.

"There we go. All done now. You can open your eyes," Akabane said, withdrawing.

"AHHH! Why didn't you say anything?!" Ginji shouted.

"Did I need to?" Akabane said in a teasing tone.

"Well, yes! When you get that close to someone, usually when something is on someone's face, you let them know!"

"Oh? I thought it might embarrass you."

"You're just teasing me now, aren't you?" Ginji said, letting out a sigh. Akabane smiled. Ban walked over to them, punching Ginji in the head.

"Idiot! You could have gotten run over!" Ban shouted.

"I'm sorry, Ban!" Ginji cried, little tears in his eyes.

"You two are just so entertaining," Akabane said, chuckling.

"Shut up, creep," Ban said back, sighing. "Well, let's keep on truckin'."

…Jikichi's eyes jumped around, his blue eyes reflecting a world of color. Banshii saw an ice cream stand and then led him over there.

"Which flavor do you want?" Banshii asked Jikichi.

"What is it?" Jikichi asked.

"'What is it?' Don't tell me that my sister never let you have any ice cream!" Banshii said, looking astonished. Jikichi shook his head.

"Well, we'll have to remedy this," Banshii said. He bought two chocolate ice creams, handing one over to Jikichi. Jikichi took a lick. At first, he was shocked by the cold, but then came the gentle flavor of chocolate.

"It's… so good!" Jikichi said, smiling up at Banshii. Banshii smiled at him.

"I thought you would like it," Banshii said. Jikichi tried to eat it quickly, but then he made an expression of pain.

"Ow!" Jikichi said, swallowing hard. Banshii laughed.

"Don't eat it so fast!"

"Sorry… I've just never had anything cold before. I've only ever had tea," Jikichi said, resuming eating his ice cream. Banshii frowned.

"Why is that?" Banshii asked.

"I'm not sure… She said I could only have liquids…" Jikichi answered.

"Well, I'm sure a little ice cream won't hurt. It's just cream after all," Banshii said.

"How can anything so tasty hurt?" Jikichi smiled at him.

"You have some above your lip, Jikichi. Let me…" Banshii leaned in and ran his tongue along Jikichi's cold lips. Jikichi's eyes widened. "Wow… Just like glass…" Banshii whispered. Jikichi's white cheeks slowly flushed. "I see… So you like boys, hm?" Jikichi's eyes fell. "That's fine."

"It is?" Jikichi said, looking up at him.

"Yes. I do too. I could never understand the beauty of a woman. I only see beauty in men—like you, Jikichi," Banshii said with sincere eyes. Jikichi looked away again. "I'm sorry. I must really be embarrassing you now. Let's go see the 'Sun Dance!'"

Jikichi finished his ice cream and stood within the crowd by Banshii's side, watching men and women twirl staffs that were lit on fire. Jikichi couldn't take his eyes off of it. Suddenly, one of the dancers dropped their staff, it blazing into a fire. The fire hit a dry rope, the fire instantly running up and lighting the stage's curtains on fire. The curtains, now on fire, began to fall down towards the dancers. They panicked, running off of the stage, except for one, who tripped. She was surrounded by a ring of fire. She screamed among the roaring flames. People in the crowd began to panic as well. Jikichi suddenly let go of his balloon, running onto the stage.

"Jikichi!" Banshii cried.

Within seconds, Jikichi emerged, running with the woman in his arms. It looked as if the fire hadn't touched them at all. Banshii just realized something—he was inflammable. Jikichi set the woman down and soon, firemen arrived, using long hoses to put out the fire. The woman thanked Jikichi for saving her life and then ran over to her friends, who were so happy to see her. People applauded Jikichi, who was quite flushed.

"Amazing," Banshii said to himself…

The trio was walking up some stairs of a tall, abandoned building that once produced air conditioners.

"Ginji, weren't the people of Babylon City happy? I mean, it was some kind of 'Utopia,' right? Why would any of them want something from the outside world? Don't they have their _own_ Shinjuku?" Ban said, pushing his glasses up higher on his nose. "But maybe the rumor about this statue traveled so high up that someone couldn't resist. After all, Clayman is paying a Mona-Lisa-price for it."

"I still don't know what a 'Mona Lisa' is, Ban," Ginji said, sounding a little annoyed.

"I still can't believe you don't. Maybe if you saw it…"

"Ban, I'm getting tired of climbing stairs. My legs are beginning to hurt. I bet the sun is setting by now…" Ginji whined. Suddenly, Akabane walked right behind him, mimicking every step. Ginji stopped. "Akabane?" He turned around to see that they were practically eye-to-eye.

"Dear Ginji, if you're so tired, I could always carry you…" Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Ginji was in Akabane's arms, being held bridal style. Ginji screamed and ran up the stairs at rocket's speed. Akabane turned to Ban, smiling. "I knew that would revitalize him."

"Not bad, creep," Ban said, smirking.

Ginji reached the roof, seeing that the sun was setting.

"It'll be night soon and then the real bad kids will come out," Ban said, walking up to Ginji.

"I just don't understand—why are the Voltz attacking us?" Ginji said, frowning.

"How about we _squeeze_ the information out of the next Voltz member we come across, hm?"

"What do you mean by that, Akabane?" Ginji said, uneasy.

"That's not a bad idea," Ban said, rubbing his chin in thought.

"What?! Ban?! No! Don't tell me you're agreeing with Akabane?!"

"Well, I'm sure Akabane and I aren't exactly on the same page, but it's something we haven't tried yet. It's not like they're trying to hide a secret from us like what happened with MakubeX. They know that we already know that the statue is in Babylon City. They're just trying to stop us from getting there."

"But why would the Voltz take commands from someone in Babylon City?" Ginji asked, looking puzzled. "The Voltz I knew disliked Babylon City as much as MakubeX disliked them."

"Maybe they're bored," Akabane said, looking over at them.

"Bored?" Ginji asked, frowning.

"Yes. Bored."

"I wonder if there are four new kings…"

"Probably not," Ban said, adjusting his glasses. "They wouldn't let this kind of thing happen. It's like Japan before it was unified as a country; just a buncha lords in castles, fighting each other. The Voltz is probably more fragmented than ever."

"Maybe if I returned, this wouldn't have happened…" Ginji said, his head falling.

"Ginji. Wake up," Ban walked over to him and put his hand under his chin, lifting his face to let their eyes meet. Ginji blushed. "It's not your fault. None of this is. People make their own decisions to cling to a gang, whether you're a god or not. So, stop letting this place weigh you down." Ginji smiled and nodded. "Now let's get that statue!"

"You're right, Ban!" Ginji said, sounding excited…

Jikichi was asleep on the couch, laying in fetal position. His bangs were messily covering his eyes. Banshii walked over to him and gently pushed some of his bangs out of his face. When Madame Harpy walked in on this, she marched up to Banshii and slapped his hand away.

"What?" Banshii said, looking confused.

"He's mine. Stop touching him so much. You'll leave smudges on him," she snapped.

"How do you know that? Have you _touched_ him?" Banshii said, smirking. She suddenly blushed.

"No—I mean—not yet. I _am_ a lady after all."

"A _hungry_ one."

"Why are you being so mean to me?"

"I'm just stating the truth. I can tell just from the way you look at him. But haven't you raised him for the past seven years? Like an older sister? Not going to lie, dear sister, but that is a bit… perverse." Madame Harpy suddenly became enraged. She walked up to Banshii and slapped him across the face. Banshii fell silent.

"You don't understand!" Madame Harpy shouted. Jikichi turned in his sleep. "After mother died and you left for uptown, I had no one! I was so desperate, I left Babylon City for a while, for the outside Shinjuku… but then I saw him and I knew that we were meant to be together."

"Alright. But in what _way?_ "

"Why do you care?"

"Forget it. So, how is the recovery service doing?"

"Well, so far, I've received some bad news. They're practically here."

"How did they travel so quickly?"

"Well, apparently, the Voltz have decided to leave them be. Other than the Lightning God, he is accompanied by a man with something called the _Jagan_ and another man who uses knives, known as 'Dr. Jackal.'" Jikichi woke up. "They're intimidated, but now the new four lords of the Voltz—Zatoichi, the Blind Lightning Blade; Uesugi, the New World Samurai; Kinzoku, the Man Made of Tungsten; and their leader, Jishaku, the Living Magnet—have officially interrupted our orders. They told me that Jishaku will be meeting with this recovery service now."

"Do you think this Jishaku will try to kill them?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But if he lets them pass, you'll be the one to face them. Are you nervous, brother?"

"Not at all."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A New God

The trio was walking on a roof towards a very large elevator.

"This has got to be it," Ban said. "Though I was expecting a _stairway_ to heaven. I hope it works."

"I'll help it along if it doesn't!" Ginji said. Ban smiled at him.

"That's right."

Suddenly, two metal doors came out of nowhere, aiming to crush Ginji between them. Ginji immediately used his electricity to create an electric field around him, trying to keep the doors apart. Ban immediately rushed over, punching his hand through one of them and threw the door away; Ginji threw the other.

"Who's there?!" Ban said, looking around.

Without any kind of warning, large chunks of scrap metal were thrown at Akabane. Akabane dodged and took out his sword, using it to cut one of the chunks in half.

They looked around, on edge. Just then, part of a crane was thrown at Ban, who used his snake bite to grab onto it and jump over it before it crashed into a concrete wall.

"Come out already!" Ban shouted. On the side of a building, a man walked up the wall, walking up onto the roof as if he was defying gravity. Ginji gasped. The man had long, straight white hair that reached his lower back. He had a nice tan, complexion similar to Himiko's. His eyes were a bright orange. His face was young, looking not too much older than Ban and Ginji. He had a white tattoo going up his cheek of the numbers "030889." He was wearing a Voltz jacket over an grey and white graphic tee advertising "Virgine Suicides." He was smiling at them. He crossed his arms.

"You've changed quite a bit, Lightning Emperor," the man said. Ginji's brows furrowed.

"Who are you?" Ginji asked.

"Of course you wouldn't remember…" he said, looking mad. "I was one of the Junkyard Kids you left behind. I'm Jishaku."

" _Jishaku?_ " Ginji fell silent for a moment when he suddenly frowned. "I remember now. You wanted to be the fifth lord of the Voltz."

"That's right. I admired you. All of you. But you left all of us and MakubeX practically lost his mind… but you knew that. MakubeX unraveled like an old rug. I heard all about your return two years ago."

"That tattoo on your cheek… You're from—"

"That's right. I'm a reject of Babylon City. They were frightened of my powers." Jishaku picked up a small piece of scrap metal by his feet and then threw it, it condensing instantly and cutting Ginji's cheek.

" _Ow! Was that a knife?! It was fast!"_ Ginji thought to himself, wiping away the blood.

"For years, the Voltz had been reduced to a pathetic club and MakubeX desperately tried to sew the Limitless Fortress back together. While that was happening, I wandered the Fortress like a lost dog. Do you have any idea as to how many lives you ruined?" Ginji frowned again. Jishaku smiled. "It's okay, though. Because of you, I was able to become the Lord of the new Voltz."

"If everything is working out for you, why are you attacking us?" Ban asked.

"How many of my men have you disabled? Have you killed?" Jishaku asked. Ginji looked back at Akabane and he tipped his hat. "The Demolition Men, who helped with constructing new homes? Gomimaru, who was a father? The Burning Wheels, who helped escort people when they didn't feel safe at night? And the countless others, whose names you'll never know? What happened to them today, huh?!"

"Hey. They attacked us. What else could we have done?" Ban said.

"Thanks to you, they're either dead or crawling on the ground, clinging to life. Once I heard about your crimes, I came here to meet you. Normally, us Voltz want nothing to do with Babylon City—especially if it means helping anyone who lives there—so, I and the other three lords were going to let you pass without any trouble…"

"Did you even know your men were employed by someone in Babylon City? That they specifically made a decision that you weren't aware of?" Ban said, lighting a cigarette.

"You think you're so cool, don't you, Mr. _Jagan_?"

"Heh."

"What you did to my men… All of you must pay for your crimes!"

"He sounds pretty serious, don't you think?" Akabane said.

"All of you will know why _I_ am the leader of the new Voltz." Jishaku let out a cry, air conditioners bursting through the floor of the roof. They circled him like he was an atom.

"Some kind of psychic power?" Ginji said. Just then, Ban's glasses flew off of his nose, but he grabbed them in time.

"No. He's a walking magnet," Ban said. Akabane's eyes opened; he felt his heart racing.

"Oh, so very interesting…" Akabane said.

The air conditioners condensed until they were large, sharp dagger-like scrap metal, and with the wave of the hand, Jishaku threw them. The three of them dodged the attack, jumping into the air. Jishaku then slammed his hand on the ground, thick metal wires shooting through the roof. The wires shot up like needles, cutting all three of them while they were still in the air. They landed, drops of blood falling from their arms, legs, and faces. Akabane couldn't believe he was hit, but he was mostly protected by his coat. Ginji rushed up to him, aiming to punch him with a fist full of electricity when Jishaku stood up and caught his fist. A round, nearly invisible shield appeared around Jishaku, absorbing Ginji's electricity. Jishaku smirked and punched Ginji in the stomach with his free hand. Ginji coughed out blood, which turned into steam the moment it hit Jishaku's electromagnetic shield. Ginji fell to his knees, holding his stomach.

"Pathetic. And they called you a god?" Jishaku said. He kicked Ginji, Ginji rolling onto his side, still holding himself. Suddenly, Akabane appeared behind Jishaku. Akabane stabbed Jishaku in the shoulder with a knife, but suddenly, the knife flew back between Akabane's fingers, threatening to pierce his palm and stab him in the face. Akabane was able to block the knife with another knife he pulled out of his other hand, but he was a little shocked. Jishaku let out a cry and pushed out a magnetic pulse out of his body that pushed Akabane quite some distance away. Jishaku then went to attack Ban. Ban pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

Jishaku pulled long pipes from out of the roof, bent them, and flung them at him, binding Ban.

"Oh no! Ban!" Ginji cried in a strained voice.

"You think you're so cool, don't you?" Ban said, grinning. Jishaku glared at him.

"I'm going to squeeze the life out of you," Jishaku threatened. Ginji got up and ran towards them, but suddenly, Ginji froze.

"I-I… can't move…!" Ginji cried.

"Oddly enough, nor can I," Akabane said.

"That is because I've used the iron in your blood to stick to the piping in the very ceiling of this building. You'll have to watch him die. I know how much you care about him, Lightning Emperor, so I think I'll enjoy this quite a bit." Suddenly, dark clouds gathered above. The sound of thunder could be heard. The wind picked up in seconds. Jishaku was a little surprised as to how fast the weather changed. Akabane struggled, but he managed to move his arm up to hold his hat to his head. Jishaku, still focusing on binding Ban, turned around to see Ginji's hair standing up. He was glaring at him. Jishaku, glaring back, did not look away when he suddenly used the pipes to crush Ban's ribs; Ban's body fell limp. Ginji let out a war cry and suddenly, a large bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, hitting Ginji. Jishaku gasped. Less than two seconds later, Ginji directed the bolt of lightning at Jishaku by pointing at him with a single finger. The lightning bolt overpowered Jishaku's magnetic field, the electricity shocking him inside of it. Jishaku saw everything going white.

"Just a minute…" Ban's voice said suddenly. Jishaku's eyes widened. Suddenly, the blinding white he was seeing shattered like glass, revealing the trio standing next to each other in front of the elevator. The sky was clear. They were still covered in cuts, but otherwise, they were fine. Jishaku gasped. "Did you have a nice dream?"

"The _Jagan!_ " Jishaku gasped. Jishaku's eyes fell. "I thought I had everything under control!"

"The moment your eyes locked with mine, you were dreaming, though your body was awake. You never even pulled those pipes out of the floor. I was thinking of using my snake bite on you, but I changed my mind. I don't think Ginji wanted me to kill you."

"Jishaku, Ban's right."

"Are you a god of mercy?!" Jishaku cried.

"Please… We don't want to hurt any more Voltz members. I realized that if you got really hurt or died, I'm sure the Voltz would splinter all over again. I have a feeling that your friends respect you, and so does the rest of the Voltz. The Voltz members who attacked us were probably acting out of desperation, probably because of something the person from Babylon City was promising them. I know what it's like to feel that way…" Ginji said. "We're just trying to get back something very important to someone. If you want, you can come with us!"

"I'll never step foot into Babylon City ever again!" Jishaku cried.

"Well, we'll be on our way then!" Ban said.

"Jishaku! I think you should consider starting a Limitless Fortress recovery service! I think you would be good at it! See ya later!" Ginji said, starting up the elevator. The elevator shot up into the air with the three of them inside. Jishaku let out a sigh and smiled.

"Guess I'm not ready to be a god yet…"

…The elevator reached the bottom of Babylon City. They exited, walking into a clean city full of people. There were trolleys everywhere, heading to uptown.

"It really does look like Shinjuku…" Ban said.

"I wonder where we should start… I wish this photograph had more information somehow…" Ginji said, taking out the photo Clayman gave them.

"Wait a second! Hold on, Ginji!" Ban said, snatching the photo away from them. He looked on the back, seeing that someone had dug a dried-out pen into the back of it and wrote, "The thief calls herself 'Madame Harpy.'" Ban's brows furrowed. "'Madame Harpy?'"

"Who's that, Ban?" Ginji asked.

"The thief. Now we just have to find her."

"And how are we going to do that? Shinjuku—I mean—Babylon City is a big place!" Ginji said.

"I'm sorry if I'm a bit old fashioned, but why don't we use the white pages?" Akabane said, smiling. Ban turned around, looking annoyed.

"Well, if you wanna cheat," Ban said back.

…Ban opened a fat book, searching the " _ha"_ section.

"Harpy… Harpy… I hope that's her actual name and not some nickname…"

After a while, Ban didn't find anyone named "Harpy."

"Damn it! How are we going to find this woman?!" Ban shouted. Ginji shook his head. Just then, he looked up, seeing that there was an ad for "Madame Harpy's Antique Glass" on a telephone pole. Ginji gasped.

"Ban! There!" he said, pointing to the poster. Ban tore the poster off the pole and looked at the address.

"It's here in lower Babylon City! It looks like a mansion! Alright! Let's go!" Ban said, smirking.

…It was deeper into the night and the moon was directly over them.

"Ban, I don't think she's going to be open for business at this hour…" Ginji said, looking at the lit up windows of the mansion.

"Idiot! I know that! We're not here to buy something!" Ban said.

"Aww… but I thought a nice lamp would really bring warmth to our apartment!"

"You two share an apartment?" Akabane said, smirking.

"Yes! We call it the Midou-Ginji residence!" Ginji said, blushing with a wide smile. Akabane's own smile grew wider.

"Ahhh! Don't say it like that!" Ban shouted, blushing.

"I would love to visit some time," Akabane said.

"Uhh… Well, you see, it's just one bedroom and we don't—" Ban interrupted Ginji by hitting Ginji in the head with his fist.

"Shut up, Ginji!" Ban shouted.

"Ow! Ban! You don't have to be so rough!" Ginji said, small tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Quit being so loud! I think I see some guards!" Ban said, whispering. The three of them went behind the mansion and hopped the iron gate, seeing that there were, indeed, guards.

"I guess you need some kind of security if you're going to sell antiques…" Ginji said.

"Yeah, but we can take care of them," Ban said.

"Yes, I'm sure we can," Akabane said, taking out a knife.

"Akabane! How do you ever transport anything if you kill everyone anyway?!" Ginji asked.

"Oh, Ginji, you are so cute when you ask stupid questions. Why, things become a lot easier, of course," Akabane answered.

"No more bloodshed!" Ginji said, glaring at him. Akabane kept on smiling.

"Whatever you say, Ginji," Akabane answered.

"What? Really?" Ginji said, looking surprised.

"If you can stop me from attacking, of course," Akabane replied. Ginji sighed.

"I knew there was a catch."

"What made you think it was going to be any different than before?" Ban asked.

"Because… Babylon City is different. Those guards are probably just friends of Madame Harpy's. They're not _Yakuza,_ " Ginji said, frowning.

"We have to recover the statue, Ginji. I'm not saying that anyone needs to die, so just do what you need to do to not get your butt kicked, okay?" Ban said, smiling at him. Ginji's frown disappeared.

…Soon, the guards were knocked unconscious. Ban tore the back door off its hinges and walked inside. They walked through rooms and rooms with glass lanterns hanging from the ceiling and lamps in display cases.

"Wow… Everything here is so pretty…" Ginji said, in awe.

"We just have to find the room where she keeps the statues…" Ban said. "Though it's a bit strange for someone who is into glass to collect something made of porcelain."

"Maybe it's like coffee and tea! Some people have preferences, but some people like both because they're both nice, hot drinks! Ooh! I forgot about hot chocolate! And warm milk! Oh! I want some now!" Ginji said, giggling.

"Oh Ginji, what am I going to do with you? Hey listen, once we're done with this job, we can buy a coffee machine for our apartment—then we won't have to go to the Honky Tonk for it ever again! Paul can keep his mud to himself!" Ban said, smiling.

"Sounds good to me!" Ginji said, swinging an arm around his neck. "Sharing coffee with you every morning would be a nice way to start the day, don'tcha think, Ban?"

"Yeah, Ginji," Ban said, smiling sweetly. Ginji blushed.

Suddenly, Ginji's smile disappeared and his expression changed to a confused one.

"Do you hear music?" Ginji asked.

"Sounds like a cello," Ban commented.

"It's just beyond this door. I say we introduce ourselves," Akabane said.

"Well, there is no other way to go after all," Ban sighed. "But don't be a 'bull-in-a-China-shop,' ok? That statue could be just beyond this door. Everyone know what the statue looks like?" Ginji and Akabane made sounds of agreement. "Good. Alright. Let's do this!" Ban tried to open the door, but it was locked. "Of course." He then tore the door off its hinges…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Memories Lost?

The door opened to reveal Madame Harpy in a short, backless, dark red dress and Banshii wearing a fitted, black suit seated on two chairs in front of Jikichi. They were listening to Jikichi play the cello until they suddenly turned around to see Ban, Ginji, and Akabane standing at the threshold of the door they tore down. Jikichi stopped playing. Madame Harpy jumped to her feet.

"Thieves!" Madame Harpy cried.

"Actually, you're the thief. We're the recovery service," Ban said, grinning.

"So, it's true. The Voltz really did withdraw…" Madame Harpy said, looking frustrated. Ginji glared at her. "I would have at least thought that Jishaku would have gotten to you!"

"Sorry, but your 'god' failed."

"I mean, we didn't hire him, but did you actually kill—"

"Didn't need to. Once we found out what you did, we decided that the Voltz who attacked us were no more than pawns in your dirty plan. What did you promise them? Money? Riches? It seems you have plenty of it," Ban said, lighting a cigarette.

"Ban!" Ginji cried. "The statue!"

"What? Where, Ginji?!" Ban turned to him. Ginji pointed at Jikichi. Ginji took out the photo and handed it to Ban. "That's… impossible… The statue can't be a person, Ginji," Madame Harpy suddenly grinned.

"Actually, that's exactly it," Madame Harpy said. Banshii stood up, looking shocked.

"Sister! Did you… kidnap him?!" Banshii shouted.

"Yes, Banshii… He was in the wrong hands—of some crazy art thief! I RESCUED him! What kind of life could he have lead living with a person like that?!"

"I see…" Banshii said, looking over at Jikichi. Jikichi's eyes fell.

"So, you became a _thief_ yourself," Ban said, blowing some smoke.

"You don't understand!" Madame Harpy cried. Suddenly, Jikichi stood up, dropping his cello. It smashed on the ground.

"Y-you!" Jikichi said, pointing at Akabane.

"Hmm?" Akabane lifted his hat.

"Dr. Jackal, is that you? Have you come to see me?!"

"What do you mean? I don't know you…" Jikichi smiled.

"It's me—Jikichi! Dr. Jackal, you're the one who did all of those surgeries, remember? You saved my life… And you made me—" He blushed. "Who I am today! Don't you remember?" Jikichi lifted up his shirt, revealing the bandages around his chest and a scar in the shape of a "J" right where his appendix used to be. "See? I'm alright! For years now!" Akabane was silent. "You helped me when Madame Harpy took me to the Limitless Fortress! Don't you remember?" Ban and Ginji looked back at Akabane.

"I'm sorry, but that's not my kind of work," Akabane answered. Jikichi looked confused.

"But you did! I swear you did!" Jikichi ran over to Akabane, clinging to him. Tears began to form in his eyes. "You came to see me, right?! Don't you remember me?!"

"…Don't touch me," Akabane said in a cold voice, pulling out a knife. Jikichi's eyes widened. Ginji gasped. Jikichi let go, returning to Banshii and Madame Harpy. He wiped his eyes and fell silent. Banshii watched the scene, looking confused. He then gently rested a hand on Jikichi's shoulder.

"I believe you," Banshii said.

"How can you be so cold?! You were the only one we knew who could do the surgeries and now you're pretending you don't even know who we are?!" Madame Harpy shouted, her hands tightening into fists. Akabane tipped his hat down.

"If you want to see a demonstration of my work, then I will gladly show you," Akabane said, pointing his knife.

"Akabane! Stop!" Ginji cried. Akabane froze and the knife withdrew into his body. He smiled.

"Give us the boy, Madame Harpy," Ban said in a firm tone of voice.

"Never!" she cried. She suddenly took Jikichi's hand and ran out the front door.

"Hey! Wait!" Ginji said. Ban and Ginji pursued her, running past Banshii. Banshii was glaring at Akabane. Banshii disappeared in a blur, as did Akabane.

Madame Harpy was cornered by Ban and Ginji against one of the brick walls surrounding her house.

"Madame Harpy! Please!" Ginji cried.

"I guess I have no choice…" Madame Harpy said, squeezing her eyes shut.

"What?" Jikichi said, looking at her. Just then, Madame Harpy began to transform. She grew a bit in size, her dress tearing. Her body was covered in iridescent black feathers, reflecting red. Her heels fell apart, her feet turning into scaly feet with talons. Her long blonde hair turned into long, yellow feathers. Her face remained the same, except feathers grew around it and her eyes turned completely black. She let out a cry that sounded like an eagle's. Jikichi looked terrified. Ginji looked uneasy.

"What a shame. She was so hot too," Ban said, spitting out his cigarette. Ginji looked at Ban, looking a little jealous. "Relax, Ginji," Ban said, letting out a small chuckle. Madame Harpy took to the air and dove down with her talons extended. Ginji was grabbed and taken up into the air. Her talons dug into his shoulders. He let out a cry and shocked her, making her drop him. She twitched in the air, but then dove down to attack Ban. She then suddenly stopped midair and opened her mouth, letting out a loud cry. The cry hurt Ban's ears, throwing him off; he fell to the ground, covering his ears. A small crack formed by Jikichi's left ear. Ginji ran towards them, but she did the same to him. Ginji growled and then began to charge himself up.

"Sorry, Madame Harpy! But kidnapping is wrong! Now, please, just give Jikichi to us! We promise he won't get hurt!"

"NEVER!" she screamed. She dove at Ginji, opening her mouth, when Ginji suddenly grabbed onto her legs and shocked her. She screamed at the sky and then fell to the ground. Ginji stood up, sighing.

"Good job, Ginji," Ban said. He then turned to Jikichi, who was standing by Banshii's side. "Whoa. When did you get there?"

"I don't trust you. Any of you," Banshii said. Akabane appeared behind Ban and Ginji.

"But you can trust us! We're just trying to—" Ginji was interrupted by Banshii.

"You just shocked my sister. I don't even know if she's alive right now. And you want to take Jikichi back to live with some art thief? You two sound like crooks," Banshii said. Ginji frowned.

"Ban, I'm starting to get uneasy about all of this. I mean—"

"Ginji, remember Clayman mentioned an auction? The auction was probably selling people. Clayman was probably trying to rescue him from an even worse fate. Jikichi was kidnapped seven years ago, by that woman. I don't know his relationship with Clayman, but it's obvious that he was, unwillingly, kidnapped. Regardless, we have a job to do," Ban said. He held his hand up. "We're going to get you back, Jikichi. We're going to get back your freedom," Ban said. Ban then ran towards them. "So Banshii, are you ready for my snake bite?!" Banshii glared at him.

Just when Ban was about to grab Banshii by the neck, Jikichi jumped in front of him, getting grabbed. Ban's eyes widened. Suddenly, Jikichi completely shattered in his grip, his clothes, bandages, and the white _kanzashi_ in his hair falling to the ground. A messy pile of blue hair fell onto the shards. Everyone froze, except Banshii, who kneeled down to look at Jikichi's remains.

"N-no… Jikichi…" Banshii whispered, picking up the _kanzashi_. Ban looked stunned.

" _I killed him."_

Banshii pinned the _kanzashi_ into his own hair. He then shut his eyes and let out a loud scream, it not only hurting everyone's ears, but actually warping the space before them. Ban managed to jump back, even though he could feel blood running from his ears. Ginji was using his electricity to make white noise in his ears to block out the sound.

"BAN!" Banshii screamed. Akabane's ears began to bleed. He placed a gloved hand to his cheek and looked at the blood.

"Astounding…" Akabane said.

Banshii let out another scream and punched the warped space in front of him that appeared. Suddenly, a hand appeared out of nowhere in front of Ban and grabbed him by the shirt, throwing him against a brick wall. The brick wall collapsed under him.

"Ban!" Ginji cried.

"It's okay, Ginji," Ban said, getting up. Banshii ran at him, letting out a war cry. Ban jumped over him, the bricks that he was just laying on exploding into powder and the streetlamps and mansion's windows shattering.

"No way!" Ban said, landing on the grass. Suddenly, the porcelain shards on the ground began to move. This caught Ginji's attention. Banshii turned to him, panting. Just then, Ban pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

Banshii ran towards him and punched Ban in the face, who shattered just like Jikichi had. Banshii was a little confused, but in reality, Banshii had actually punched Ban, who was expecting him to swing at nothing. Ban fell back, looking confused.

" _What?! How was he able to hit me?!"_ Ban thought to himself.

Banshii opened his mouth and suddenly, no noise came out. Akabane covered his ears. Ginji looked at him, looking confused. Once again, Banshii punched Ban again without a problem.

"I know this is some kind of illusion, so I will use my ears to find you!" Banshii cried. Ban cursed.

" _I can't believe the Jagan isn't really working against this guy. I mean, it's probably throwing him off, but he's able to keep himself awake and use sound to see—like a bat,"_ Ban thought, getting up again. _"I have to believe that my Jagan will be more than just an illusion—that it'll turn into a bad dream…"_

Ginji then heard a strange noise. He looked over where Jikichi was once standing and saw that the shards and Jikichi's hair was flying around in the air. Suddenly, they began to come together, forming Jikichi again. He was naked, but whole nonetheless. Akabane noticed two additional scars under Jikichi's chest and then saw something even stranger below. His eyes widened. He turned his back to them, blushing. Jikichi looked up to see Ginji, who was offering him a hand with a smile. Jikichi, bunching his clothes into a pile with one arm, took Ginji's hand, standing up. Ginji turned his back to him and Jikichi got dressed, blushing.

"I guess you know my secrets…" Jikichi said. "You must think I'm some kind of abomination…"

"Not at all," Ginji said, smiling still.

Ban kept on getting punched around—for at least half a minute now, when suddenly, Banshii froze.

Banshii saw Ban shatter again.

"Old tricks, Ban!" Banshii cried. Just then, he felt his legs move forward, moving towards Jikichi's remains. "What? Why am I moving? Why can't I _stop_ moving?" Banshii walked over there, looking down at the porcelain shards that was once Jikichi. He then began to stomp and crush them into powder. "What?! No! I would never do this! Why won't my body stop?! Stop! STOP!" Banshii screamed, the shards instantly turning into powder. Banshii then fell to his knees.

"I destroyed him…" Banshii said. Wind blew the dust away. "I wanted to free you. I wanted to take you away from her. I could tell that she kept you in that mansion of hers, under all of that artificial light. You were property to her… " Banshii picked up his clothes, hugging them. "I knew that the moment I saw you, the moment she addressed you… The fact that she kidnapped you in the first place, was a secret to me… I wanted to free you from it all… I wanted to love you…"

"JUST A MINUTE," Ban shouted. Banshii looked behind them, his reality shattering before him. He saw Jikichi standing right by Ginji's side, with Ban and Akabane. "Did you have a bad dream?" Banshii's eyes widened. Jikichi ran over to him, hugging him. Little cracks formed along his arms.

"Jikichi…" Banshii said, looking down at him.

"We heard everything, Banshii," Ginji said, smiling sweetly. "We want the same thing for Jikichi. Come with us."

…The next day, Jikichi was drinking milk tea, sitting next to Banshii in the Honky Tonk. Ban, Ginji, Hevn, Akabane, and as usual, Paul and Natsumi were there.

"Where is she, Hevn? Stealing the Statue of Liberty?" Ban said, sounding annoyed.

"You were already paid in advance. Why are you whining?" Hevn said, turning to him. Just then, the door opened.

"Welcome to the Honky Tonk—oh! Miss Clayman! Welcome back!" Natsumi said, bowing her head. Clayman said nothing once her eyes fell upon Jikichi. Jikichi suddenly stood up and ran over to her. She embraced him, beginning to cry.

"Mother…" Jikichi said softly.

"MOTHER?!" everyone cried.

"Yes… This, everyone, is my child, Jikichi. Everything I told you—about the auction—was a lie. This was a simple kidnapping—one that lasted seven years," Clayman said. Ginji frowned.

"Seven years…" Ginji repeated.

"Well, looks like we got back your precious thing, Clayman," Ban said. Ginji smiled. Tears formed in Clayman's eyes. Just then, she noticed Banshii.

"Who are you? Did you help them?" Clayman asked.

"Well, no… I came because Jikichi asked me to," Banshii answered.

"All of this sun must hurt you."

"Yes, but it's where Jikichi belongs," Banshii said, eyes falling. Clayman suddenly blushed.

"Thank you…" Clayman said softly. "Your name?"

"It's… Banshii."

"Would you like to come see my private gallery?" Clayman asked. "I've been wanting to show Jikichi for years. I think you would enjoy it as well." Banshii's eyes rose, lighting up.

"I…" Banshii's mind raced. He then saw a single image of Jikichi smiling. "I would love to."

Akabane looked over at Jikichi, silent.

" _I don't want to remember those days or else I'll never be able to come back…"_ Akabane thought to himself. _"Things are better this way._ " Akabane went to leave. Clayman smiled at Akabane and said nothing. "Ta-ta," Akabane said, the door closing behind him.

"So, are we going to get that penthouse you were talking about, Ban?" Ginji asked.

"I think we should just get a coffee machine for now," Ban answered. Ban and Ginji locked eyes, smiling at each other.

"Coffee machine?! You'll never be satisfied with whatever that machine makes, tellin' ya now," Paul said, lowering his newspaper.

"You're just mad that we won't be buying your mud!" Ban said, snickering.

"Well, maybe not, but all of those pizzas and nights sleeping in the café booths…"

"What?! Well, I'm sure it won't even take a bite out of what we've just made!" Ban said, cockily.

"Actually… Natsumi, go ahead," Paul said, resuming reading his newspaper. Natsumi clapped her hands together.

"Sorry boys, but you owe us about 2,984,240 yen for 2,044 yen per pizza every day for 4 years, an additional 4,905,840 yen at 20,441 yen a night at the cafe for a total of 240 nights over the past 4 years… and for a new tire, that's an extra 15,331 yen… so technically, you're still in our debt!"

"WHAT?!" Ban screamed.


	6. Extra: Eleven And Two

Eleven And Two

…Eleven years ago…

"I know that it must be a shock to you, but your mother was a monster," a police officer said to Helena.

A woman wearing a white dress with long, straight, light blonde hair reaching her ankles laid dead on the stage in a pool of blood. The audience had been forced to leave by the police.

Helena was about 20 years old. She was fair and had dark eyes. She had long, wavy blonde hair. She never wore makeup to her mother's shows, but she had put on mascara for the big night; it was bleeding down her cheeks with her tears.

"You don't seem like you have the same mutation, but you'll both be taking blood tests in a couple of days. You know the law. Now, you and your brother James go home," the officer said as he finished writing his report. A young man approached Helena from behind. He was pale, had shoulder-length, wavy white hair, and blood red eyes. He wrapped an arm around her.

"James?" Helena said in a broken voice, looking up at him.

"We will. Thank you, officer," James said, leading Helena off the stage and out of the building.

"I had no idea that she was a… well… a…" Helena tried to finish her sentence, but couldn't.

"Yes you did. We all are. But we can't let them know that," James said.

"I don't care about _us_ right now! I want mother back!" Helena cried.

"It was all too good to be true. They were in love with her, you know… But love easily turns to hatred, especially when they feel they've been tricked… and they were tricked," James replied. One of the heels of Helena's shoes suddenly snapped off, making her twist her ankle. James caught her in time.

"Oh! My ankle!" Helena said in pain. James, who was stronger than he looked, picked Helena up and carried her down the streets, leaving her shoes behind.

…Helena and James were having tea, surrounded by her stained glass lamps. Helena was frowning, trying to hold back tears.

"I've arranged it so that the lab doesn't send _our_ blood. They'll never know that we're _like_ her," James said, sipping his tea.

"So you want to make it like we aren't her children at all?" Helena said, sounding upset.

"Well, I am not related to her at all… But either way, both of us would test positive and either be killed or marked and banished to the Limitless Fortress below," James said, putting down his cup.

"This isn't fair… Why does this happen?"

"You know why this happens to people like us. We are a threat. Helena… I must tell you something… I know that it only happened two days ago, but I can't stand living in this house anymore."

"What?! Why?!"

"I don't always have to explain my feelings to you." He got up from his seat. "Anyway, I've decided that I'm going to live in uptown from now on. Maybe I'll understand this better when I'm up there."

"But what about our house?! What about me?!" Helena said, tears forming in her eyes.

"You know… You're just like mother. You belong right here. Goodbye, Helena," James said, leaving the house. Helena cried silently into her hands…

Clayman was standing in front of the _Portrait of Vasilii Yaroshenko_ beside a young Jikichi. Jikichi was wearing her navy and black Spring school uniform with matching gingham pants. She stared at the painting and then turned to Clayman, frowning.

"Why does he look so mean?" Jikichi asked.

"Jikichi, that is the mysterious beauty of the painting. If you see a mean man, then that's what it is." Jikichi fell silent for a moment.

"He doesn't look so mean now. But why are his eyes closed?" Jikichi said.

"Jikichi… Vasilii, the man you see here, was blind. But the artist painted with beautiful, warm colors because of the world the artist imagined Vasilii was seeing," Clayman answered. Jikichi smiled.

"Mom, do you think I can make great paintings like this when I get accepted into high school?" Jikichi asked. Clayman smiled sweetly at Jikichi, gently taking her hand.

"I believe you," Clayman answered. "Do you want to get something to eat in the café?" Jikichi nodded.

Clayman was getting ice cream for the two of them while Jikichi patiently sat in a seat.

" _Chocolate… vanilla… red bean… Which one?"_ Clayman thought to herself. She turned around. "Jikichi! What flavor would you like to try?" Clayman realized that Jikichi was not there to hear her. _"Probably went to the bathroom…"_ Clayman sighed and decided to go with chocolate.

Minutes passed, and Clayman became concerned. She got up from her seat, leaving the ice cream on the table, and went into the bathroom.

"Jikichi? Are you in here? Your ice cream is melting!" Clayman said in a playful voice. She then noticed that every stall door was open, no one inside. Clayman's eyes widened. She ran out of the bathroom and looked around, feeling a bit more nervous. _"Gift shop?"_ Clayman went upstairs and went to the gift shop, looking around. The store was empty, with the exception of the sales associate. Clayman began to panic. The sales associate approached her.

"Looking for something in particular? The prints over there are quite popular since the new exhibit—"

"You need to help me! My daughter has gone missing!"

…Hours passed. The police eventually left. Clayman was outside, sitting on a bench with her head hanging.

"She… was spirited away…"

…Jikichi ran up to Madame Harpy, who was putting a new bulb into one of her lamps.

"Madame Harpy! Dr. Jackal said yes!" Jikichi cried.

"I'm so happy! After years of waiting, we have finally found someone with a delicate enough touch!" Madame Harpy said with glee. Jikichi suddenly hugged Madame Harpy, smiling. Little cracks on her arms formed. "Careful Jikichi…"

"Now I'm going to be just like all of the other boys!" Jikichi cried, beginning to cry tears of happiness…

…Dr. Jackal was showing Jikichi his new J-shaped scar near his stomach.

"See?" Dr. Jackal said, showing off a knife.

"Thank you again, Dr. Jackal…" Madame Harpy said. Banshii was there as well, smiling. Just then, Dr. Jackal reached into his pocket and took out a white _kanzashi_ , clipping it into his hair.

"Here. For you," Dr. Jackal said. Jikichi blushed.

"You look so cute, Jikichi!" Madame Harpy said, giggling. "Just like a doll!"

...Madame Harpy was standing at a closed door.

"Jikichi, I told you not to go to the lower world! Are you done showering yet?"

"Yes! Just drying off!" Jikichi answered from behind the door.

"Good. Don't get dressed though."

"Why not?" Jikichi answered, peeking out of the bathroom with a large towel wrapped around his body. Madame Harpy suddenly yanked the towel off of him.

"I want you to play the cello for me. Just like that," Madame Harpy said, leering at him. Jikichi suddenly felt uncomfortable…

…Jikichi was playing on stage with three other cellists. He was first cello. His eyes were closed as he played. At one point, he was to do a solo, and that was when he got a chance to show off his skill. The lights focused on him, shining on his white skin. He looked like an angel on stage, looking like there was nothing but light playing the cello. The other cellos soon joined in and they finished their piece like a low whisper. The audience applauded them, some standing.

Jikichi was putting his cello away, backstage, when Madame Harpy appeared with a bouquet of white roses. Jikichi smiled at her.

"Madame Harpy, it's all because of you I am here today. Thank you…" Jikichi said. Madame Harpy walked up to Jikichi and grabbed him by the chin. "Huh?"

"Jikichi… You deserve a little award. What about a kiss?" Madame Harpy said, smiling.

"What's a kiss?" Jikichi asked, looking confused.

"I'll show you," Madame Harpy said, leaning forward. She closed her eyes and soon, her lips were pressed up against his. Jikichi stared forward, feeling uncomfortable. A small crack formed by his lips. When she broke the kiss, she noticed that Jikichi's eyes were open wide and there was a crack by the corner of his lips. She became angry. "Jikichi! That's not how you kiss someone!"

"I feel weird…" Jikichi said, eyes falling. Madame Harpy dropped the bouquet of flowers on the floor. Jikichi picked them up and saw that Madame Harpy had begun to cry. "Madame Harpy! What's wrong?!"

"Nothing, J-Jikichi. Fix your face."

…Two years ago…

…Jishaku watched MakubeX cling to Sakura. He felt ill. What was going to happen now? Everything was beginning to make sense when MakubeX was in control. Now what? Now people were going to walk around with hand-me-down Voltz jackets without a purpose. He had already seen some girl who looked like a boy wearing one. What about the Beltline? Who cared. They kept to themselves. They were powerful beings who let people pass to Babylon City without much opposition, though Jishaku had a feeling that something was brewing there. He wasn't sure what it was yet, but he knew he'd better not to go there—for now. He was stuck in Lower Town, and now Lower Town was lawless. Jishaku could tell that what made MakubeX a "miracle from Babylon City" had disappeared from his eyes. He wasn't going to make a new Voltz. He was going to let Lower Town do whatever it wanted to—and to Jishaku, that meant deterioration.

"For the second time, I saw you leave…" Jishaku said to himself. "And I'm tired of thinking that I can stand by your side and protect the people of Lower Town from self-destruction. It is my turn now."

…Jishaku wandered to the crater where Ginji once was when he had lost control as the Lightning Emperor. Nowadays, local gangs came there to fight each other and bet on each other like an old _Yakuza_ gathering. He sat on a tall metal beam, talking to himself.

"So, this is where he was born… I remember seeing MakubeX come here... Every night, this place is defiled…" He let out a sigh. Just then, he heard some "clinking" from below. He looked down to see a blind man using a cane to walk about. He was definitely Japanese. He looked like he was in his 20's. He had short, spikey black hair. He wore a brown trench coat over a dark chocolate brown shirt and desert camo shorts that reached his knees. His eyes were closed. Just then, a group of punks with brightly colored hair surrounded him.

"Give us your money, all-behinder!" one of them shouted.

"Perhaps would you like a massage instead? You see, I'm a traveling masseur and that's how I make my living," the blind man said, waving his hand. "I only carry enough money to get me food to eat. That is just how it is. It's a day-to-day living."

"We don't care about your little story! Give us your bag!"

"My bag? Oh, I couldn't do that. If I did, I wouldn't have a place to carry my money for dinner tonight," the blind man replied, smiling.

"Smart-aleck!" another one of the punks said, taking out a knife. The other four took out knives as well.

"Is that live steel I hear? Or a children's sword? Ah, all of you must be younger than me. Go along now; I have to make money," the blind man said, beginning to walk forward. Jishaku found the blind man interesting. He was trying hard not to laugh. Just then, the punks rushed at him with their daggers. Out of the cane, the blind man pulled a sword and took them all out with one swipe each—but he had moved so fast that Jishaku didn't even see when the blade made contact with their bodies. The blind man put his cane sword back together and all of the punks fell to the ground. Jishaku didn't know if they were alive or not, but he did not care. Jishaku jumped down and walked up to the blind man.

"I don't mean to stop your travels, but I was wondering, do you know about the Voltz?" Jishaku said, smiling.

"'The Voltz?' Why, yes, I do! I gave the Lightning Emperor a massage once, just when I was training! He was so tense. I felt so bad for him, I did not ask for payment…" the blind man said, frowning.

"What is your name?"

"'My name?' It's Ichi."

" _Just_ 'Ichi?'"

"Well, some people have called me 'Zatoichi,' but that's usually when they're scared."

"Why's that?"

"I'm not sure. They think I was once _Yakuza_. Perhaps that was someone else's name, but it's mine now."

"You're a bit odd, but I like that. My name is Jishaku." Jishaku held out his hand when suddenly, Zatoichi's cane sword stuck to it.

"Thief!" Zatoichi cried.

"No, no. I'm sorry. It's just… Your sword must be a very good sword. You see, my body functions like a magnet. I constantly have to change the polarity of various parts of my body to not stick to things or have things stick to me. I simply was not paying attention when I offered you my hand." Jishaku handed Zatoichi his sword back. Zatoichi smiled.

"Why don't we have sake together?" Zatoichi said.

"'Sake?'"

"Ah, you must be young too—" Zatoichi froze. "That tattoo on your face…"

"What?! How do you know I have a tattoo on my face?!"

"What does it mean?" Zatoichi asked, genuinely curious. Jishaku's eyes fell.

"Nevermind it."

"You have sadness in your voice… Let's get some sake, okay?"

"Alright. Lead me."

"The blind leading the not blind?"

"How else am I going to know where you drink sake if I don't follow you?" Jishaku said, smiling. Zatoichi laughed and walked forward…

…A couple of months later, Jishaku met Uesugi through Zatoichi. Uesugi was also of Japanese descent. He dressed like a _samurai,_ wearing neutral colors. He had long black hair, tied up high on his head in a ponytail with a woman's _kushi._ He had light grey eyes. They were all drinking sake in a small room.

"I met Zatoichi here because I was assigned to kill him. A gang said that he was a merciless killer going around. When we first met, I didn't recognize him. We were just crossing the same road. He and I then heard about a situation at Virgine Suicides Inn. The women working there were being abused by a gang, so we immediately went there. So, Zatoichi here took out the gang, and when we met for a second time, I knew that he was my target. We had sake and had a nice evening, but the next morning, we were enemies. We made a real mess of each other and decided that it was a draw. We went our separate ways, but it seems that we can't help but to keep on meeting! Isn't that right, Zatoichi?"

"Yes. And it's always over sake," Zatoichi said, chuckling.

"So, what exactly is your question, Jishaku?"

"Uesugi, I am reviving the Voltz. Zatoichi has told me of your powers. If you don't mind, I would like to see a demonstration," Jishaku said.

"Alright! Let's go outside then!"

…The three of them went outside and it had begun to rain. Jishaku and Zatoichi followed him to a large courtyard. There was no grass—just concrete with chalk drawings all over it, which had begun to run with the rain. Uesugi was silent. He then took the pose of a bower. He reached his arm back and then opened his fingers. Suddenly, something pierced the concrete wall they were facing. In seconds, an arrow appeared. Jishaku remained silent. Then, Uesugi raised one arm, elbow tight. He then looked as if he was throwing something. In seconds, the arrow that was stuck in the wall split, and a spear appeared in its place. Then, Uesugi got into a _sha no kamae_ position. He then ran up to a pole in the courtyard, his arms moving up to _jodan no kamae_ position. He ran up the pole and then once he reached the top, he moved his arms wildly. When he got halfway down the pole, he landed on his feet with his back to the pole. Suddenly, the pole fell to pieces, crashing to the ground. A _katana_ appeared in his hands, just for a moment, before it faded into nothingness.

"Amazing. You really are like a 'New-Age Samurai,'" Jishaku said. Uesugi smiled.

"That's not even the half of it," Uesugi said, smirking.

…A couple of weeks later, they encountered another man that captured Jishaku's eye. He had earned a reputation—the "Man of Steel." Jishaku, coming from Babylon City, knew nothing of comic book heroes, but the name had grabbed his attention. Jishaku, Zatoichi, and Uesugi had been roaming Lower Town together, wearing new Voltz jackets a girl named Ren had made them. Jishaku met Ren after getting medicine for Zatoichi's cold, immediately recognizing her from when MakubeX had reunited with Sakura. Ren had truly begun to believe in the group and she did her best to spread the word about it to others who wanted protection from gangs.

Kinzoku, the 'Man of Steel," was protecting a bunch of little girls who were attending a small, secret school that taught women how to read and write. A gang had approached the little girls, wanting to kidnap them and use them for ransom, but Kinzoku happened to walk by and instantly got involved. Jishaku and Uesugi were standing there, watching the scene. Zatoichi was with the pharmacist, getting more medicine for his cold.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but don't even take another step closer. Turn tail and walk away," Kinzoku commanded.

"Who the hell are you?" one of the gangsters said.

"He thinks he's hot stuff since he's got armor on his arms! Ha!" another one said. What they didn't know was that Kinzoku's entire body was made of metal—they just couldn't tell from the fair skinned plating that his face was made out of. He had messy, spikey brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a heather grey tank top and blue jeans. One of the gangsters pulled out a switchblade and stabbed Kinzoku, but the blade bent.

"What?! Your body too?! Wait—are you the 'Man of Steel?!'" the gangster said, looking nervous.

"Tungsten, actually. 74th element—but you wouldn't know that." Kinzoku punched him and he went flying into a wall. The other gangsters were a bit intimidated, but angrier that their leader had been beaten. They rushed at him when suddenly, Kinzoku's arms turned into chainsaws; they stopped dead in their tracks. "I'm warning you. Never return here again or else I'll cut your entire body right down the middle." The gangsters ran off, shouting curses. Kinzoku's arms returned to normal and all of the little girls crowded around him, thanking him. Kinzoku blushed.

Jishaku smiled.

"Hey! Number 74! When your fanclub goes home, we need to speak to you!" Jishaku said, waving…

…The four of them were all having tea. Jishaku had told Kinzoku everything.

"I have heard of you. All of you. I believe what you stand for… But if you want me to join you, then I will fight for my position," Kinzoku said.

"I don't understand. I've already invited you. There is no reason to fight," Jishaku said, looking a bit confused.

"Oh, there is. You see, I want to see what you are all about, leader. If I can beat you, then I want nothing to do with your group."

"Ah, I see now…" Uesugi said, nodding his head. Jishaku smiled.

"Well then… I will be happy to fight you. But I will warn you… I am aiming to become the god of Lower Town."

"Then we shall see if you really are powerful enough to be a god," Kinzoku said, standing up.

…The fight between them went on for an hour, different parts of Kinzoku's body turning into weapons. At first, Jishaku had a little difficulty fighting him, because he was simply not as magnetic as other metals were, but he overpowered him, using his surroundings—an endless supply of metal—to beat him up.

"This place… You could manipulate the entire city if you wanted to… This place… You were born to be a god over it," Kinzoku said, panting. "I believe in your cause, and moreover, your power."

"Welcome to the new Voltz. We are the Lightning Emperor's children. We will rule Lower Town from today on. Anyone who challenges us shall be trounced. Anyone who seeks us shall be protected," Jishaku said, smiling. "And I will be God."


End file.
